The death of SIDS

You’ve been hearing how Alberta and the rest of Canada quietly stopped classifying baby deaths as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.

Parents who have suffered this loss and researchers looking for the answer as to why about three babies a week in Canada die at under 4 months with no apparent cause, fear money for research will now dry up as these deaths are all filed under the general category of “undetermined”.

My family lost a son and brother, Jonathan, to SIDS at three months, right after the doctor had told us how healthy he was.

My wife and I were racked with guilt, wondering if we had done something.

A couple of kind and considerate police came to investigate. They found nothing wrong but we were devastated.

I didn’t laugh for three months.

Why do they just stop breathing, usually in their sleep? No answer, yet.

Filing them under “undetermined” is the equivalent of a clinical grey filing cabinet and gives no comfort at all.

At least when there is a diagnosis such as SIDS, it’s like a handle you can hang onto, while you recover from the heartbreak of choosing that little tiny casket.